In his first four years in the league as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, inside linebacker Patrick Queen became accustomed to seeing plenty of unkind welcomes from opposing fans on the road.
That includes Pittsburgh where Steelers fans greeted him with the customary middle finger every time he stepped onto the field at Heinz Field and Acrisure Stadium.
Now, Queen is on the other side of the rivalry. So far in training camp, Queen has made his mark on the Steelers, showing just how impactful he will be this season.
Ahead of his first season in the Steel City, Queen — during an interview with Prospect Media — stated that he’s most looking forward to not getting so many middle fingers at Acrisure Stadium this time around.
“I won’t get as many middle fingers before the game like I used to now, so I’m looking forward to that,” Patrick Queen said of being on this side of the rivalry, according to video via Prospect Media on YouTube. “But nah, really just, I just know the energy. I know how Mike T[omlin] coaches his guys and stuff, and I know how the guys play.”
It’s quite funny that the first thing that pops to mind when asked what he’s excited about is not seeing so many middle fingers thrown his way ahead of games. That’s just what the rivalry is like and how the fans feel about the Ravens when they come to town.
Queen was a big part of that rivalry due to some of the plays he made in recent years defensively against the Steelers. Now, he’ll be giving it back to the Ravens in those matchups as a key piece defensively for the Steelers.
So far this offseason, a lot of trash has been talked between former Ravens teammates and Queen, making for some interesting storylines, especially ahead of the Steelers-Ravens matchups, which will unfortunately have to wait until late in the season.
Right now though, Queen is enjoying being on this side of the rivalry, the side that has won eight of the last nine matchups. He’s taking well to Pittsburgh, setting a tone while adjusting to some of the “crazy” practice habits the Steelers have in training camp.
There won’t be any more middle fingers coming from Steelers fans. Instead, it’ll be applause and admiration, which is something he’ll have to adjust to.
